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India for bringing Afghanistan in SCO

MOSCOW: India has called for bringing Afghanistan into the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to facilitate peace and progress in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s special envoy Satinder Lambah made the proposal at an international conference on Afghanistan held in Moscow on Friday.

“Afghanistan’s membership of SAARC and other groups such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation will renew and reinforce Afghanistan’s linkages with the countries of the region,” said Mr. Lambah. Afghanistan joined SAARC in 2007, but it is neither a member nor an observer in the SCO. Mr. Lambah emphasised India’s contribution to international efforts to rebuild Afghanistan pointing out that India had pledged $1.2 billion in assistance and offered to supply 2,50,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan. The conference was attended by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, NATO Deputy Secretary-General Martin Howard and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Patrick Moon.

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